Phil Lancaster is a professional drummer across multiple styles. Born in Walthamstow on Boxing Day, 1942 Phil was both drawn to show business from a young age and took up the drums to form groups with close school friends, cutting his teeth on the changing musical styles of the day including skiffle, jazz and early rock before finally turning fully professional at the age of 21.

After returning from live engagements in Europe and in need of a new group Phil followed up a music paper advert and met a 19-year-old singer called David Jones (who had yet to change his name to Bowie) at the famous Gioconda café in Denmark Street, thus becoming a member of Davie Jones and The Lower Third - the band with whom David Jones would become David Bowie - all without a formal audition.